The story begins in 1980s Yokosuka, Japan. The main character, Ryo Hazuki has his father murdered before him by Lan Di, the boss of the underground organization, Chi You Men. Ryo learns of the existence of a mysterious pair of mirrors, and makes his way to Hong Kong to unravel the mystery and avenge his father.
A stranger in a new land, Ryo gains the help of Ren Wuying, and together they make contact with Yuanda Zhu, only to see Lan Di make his escape. Continuing to pursue his father's Killer, Ryo travels to Bailu Village in Guilin. Along the way, he meets a new companion, Shenhua Ling who will forever change his destiny.
The story of Shenmue was originally scripted for a total of eleven chapters. Shenmue II brought the story up to chapter six, with Shenmue III continuing from there at Bailu Village. What secrets are held within the twin mirrors? Will Ryo face his arch nemesis, Lan Di in a final showdown? What does fate hold in store for Ryo and Shenhua?.
Shenmue III is also available on PS4.
If the original dilogy is Iliad, Shenmue 3 is Odyssey, a sequel that even exceeds expectations in some regards.
A seamless continuation of the series that makes up for its limitations with pure heart. It's like Ryo never left us.
Shenmue III is a love letter to its fans, showing an uncompromising commitment to Yu Suzuki’s original vision and giving Ryo new life 18 years on. Though its old-school gameplay may prove off-putting to new players, Ys Net has brought us a fun adventure with an engaging story that’ll hold your attention. Whilst there are some rough edges in need of polishing, Shenmue III is a great experience overall and comes recommended.
As a Kickstarter project, backed by players who knew exactly what they wanted, Shenmue III delivers in such a specifically correct way exactly what long-time fans of the series had been asking for that it's hard to know whether some more advancements made in the last 20 years, besides the elimination of loading screens around every corner, were considered but ultimately scrapped in the name of keeping the series pure.
I’m disappointed with this game, it has perfectly kept the spirit of the original Shenmue but in doing so has not brought any of the new innovations of the industry.
Rejoining Ryo Hazuki’s quest to avenge his father is exciting, but Shenmue 3 feels like a game that has ignored the innovation and progress of the last 20 years of video game development.
Despite all Suzuki’s claims that this series is his life’s work, Shenmue 3 feels more like a quick cash-in. [Issue#242, p.62]
